Himpunan RUU355 organisers will appeal against Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) decision to prohibit them from holding a rally at Dataran Merdeka on Feb 18. The rally’s chairman, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said organisers received a letter from DBKL dated Jan 13 over its decision.The rally, organised by PAS wants the planned rally on Feb 18, targeting 300,000 participants, to encourage support for party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill, RUU355, the Bahasa Malaysia abbreviation of the Bill.“DBKL did not give any explanation on why our request was rejected,” said Tuan Ibrahim, who is also PAS deputy president, in a statement on Friday. He said organisers wanted the rally to be held at Dataran Merdeka because it was a historical rally for Malaysians who treasured peace, and respected the freedom of religion.He added that the rally would be peaceful and adhere to the Peaceful Assembly Act. “We hope DBKL can reconsider its decision. We will ensure the rally is conducted in an orderly manner,” Tuan Ibrahim said, adding that they will enlist the help of 2,000 volunteers. The Bill seeks to increase the degree of penalties in the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965. It is expected to be retabled when Parliament reconvenes in March. ©shafiqhashim / 2017
Shafiq Hashim 